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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. court — of a king
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. capital — money
  14. court — for sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a grade
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. capital — a city
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com